Galloway, NJ – Stockton University junior
Meg Murzello (Maple Shade/Holy Cross) was chosen as the 2019 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars sport winner for softball by the publication
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Murzello was chosen from a list of nominees across all three NCAA divisions and is Stockton's first-ever sport winner.
The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar awards recognize minority student-athletes who have distinguished themselves academically and athletically. Nominees must have at least sophomore standing with a grade point average of 3.50 or higher and be are active on campus or in their community. Murzello was one of 40 sport winners from a total of nearly 1,000 nominees nationwide.
Murzello is a Health Sciences major with a 3.86 grade point average. She is in her second year on the Stockton softball team after transferring from St. Francis University (PA), where she played as a freshman. Prior to this season, she was one of 50 players named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA Player of the Year Watch List by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Murzello has started all 14 games thus far and leads the team in batting (.469), on-base percentage (.519) and stolen bases (7) while also standing tied for the team lead in runs (14). She is tied for fifth in the NJAC in hits (23) plus seventh in batting average and on-base percentage, tied for ninth in runs and stolen bases and tied for 10th in total bases (27).
Last year, Murzello was voted to the NFCA East Region First Team and NJAC Second Team after an outstanding season in which she led the Ospreys in batting (.412), runs (39), hits (56) and on-base percentage (.467) while also contributing 25 stolen bases and 16 RBI.
Murzello finished second in the NJAC in runs, fourth in stolen bases, tied for fifth in hits and seventh in on-base percentage last year. Her 56 hits and 39 runs each were the third-highest season totals in Stockton history, and she was the first Osprey chosen All-Region First Team since Samantha Horner in 2009.
